<h2>Name</h2>
<p>
This Surah takes its name from the word (<em>ar-Ra'ad</em>) (thunder) that
occurs in v. 13. It is merely the symbolic name of the Surah and does
not in any way mean that the Surah deals with the scientific problems
connected with thunder.
</p>
<h2>Period of Revelation</h2>
<p>
The internal evidence (vv. 27-31 and vv. 34-48) shows that this Surah
was revealed in the last stage of the Mission of the Holy Prophet at
Makkah and during the same period in which Surahs Yunus, Hud and Al-
A'araf were sent down. The manner of speech indicates that a long time
had passed since the Holy Prophet had been conveying the Message. On
the one hand, his opponents had been contriving different devices to
defeat him and his Mission, and, on the other, his followers had been
expressing a desire that by showing a miracle the disbelievers might
be brought to the Right Way. In answer, Allah impressed on the
Believers that it is not His way to convert people by this method and
that they should not lose heart, if He is giving the enemies of the
Truth a rope long enough to hang themselves. Otherwise, He is able to
show such signs as may bring the dead out of their graves and make
them speak (v. 31), but even then these obdurate people will invent an
excuse to explain this away. All this decisive evidence clearly proves
that this Surah was revealed during the last stage of the Prophet's
Mission at Makkah.
</p>
<h2>Central Theme</h2>
<p>
The first verse enunciates the main theme of this Surah, that is, "The
Message of Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) is the very Truth, but
it is the fault of the people that they are rejecting it." This is the
pivot on which the whole Surah turns. This is why it has been shown
over and over again in different ways that the basic components of the
Message -- <em>Tauhid</em>, Resurrection and Prophethood-are a reality: therefore
they should believe sincerely in these for their own moral and
spiritual good. They have been warned that they shall incur their own
ruin if they reject them, for <em>kufr</em> by itself is sheer folly and
ignorance. Moreover, the aim of the Surah is not merely to satisfy the
minds but also to appeal to the hearts to accept the Faith. Therefore
it does not merely put forward logical arguments in support of the
truth of the Message and against the people's wrong notions, but at
appropriate intervals it makes frequent use of sympathetic and earnest
appeals to win over their hearts by warning them of the consequences
of <em>kufr</em> and by holding out the happy rewards of Faith so that the
foolish people should give up their obduracy. 
</p>
<p>
Besides this, the
objections of the opponents have been answered without any mention of
them, and those doubts which are proving a hindrance in the way of the
Message or were being created by the opponents have been removed. At
the same time, the Believers; who had been passing through long and
hard ordeal and were feeling tired, and waiting anxiously for Allah's
succour, have been comforted and filled with hope and courage.
</p>

